From a photograph by Solomon D. Butcher of four daughters of rancher Joseph M. Chrisman, at their sod house in Custer County, Nebraska. From left to right, Harriet, Elizabeth, Lucie, and Ruth. Photographed in 1886.

Saturday, December 03, 2011

Sale of a Large Sandhill Ranch

Circle Cross Ranch at Valentine, Nebraska

The 40,000 acre Circle Cross Ranch near Valentine, Nebraska, sold at auction on Dec. 2, 2011, for $11.75 million. A seven-brother partnership, represented by Danny Weinreis of Minatare,
Nebraska, and Gene Weinreis of Golva, North Dakota, placed the winning bid.

4 comments:

Anonymous
said...

The best ag economist I ever knew was an old Sandhills rancher. His first rule of ranch economics was that the land was worth no more than the beef it would produce. Any one paying above that price was buying something other than a ranch.

I share your relief that the Circle Cross will continue as a working ranch in the hands of real cattlemen. So many the recent Sandhill sales have gone to a certain pseudo-ranching-buffalo-herding-do-gooder whom has been a singular plague on the ideal of the family owned ranch.

I truly hope that Ted Turner doesn't get any more ranch land. His ranches are removed from the market forever (the land all ultimately goes to the Ted Turner Foundation), so that land will never again be in the hands of the common people. Also his purchases are driving up land prices so it's more difficult for ordinary people to purchase the land that's left.

IT IS STILL BEST to be honest and truthful; to make the most of what we have; to be happy with simple pleasure; and to be cheerful and have courage when things go wrong.(Laura Ingalls Wilder, 1867-1957)